Bichi "Happy Flama" Tecate Red Blend 2021

Vin Chicago: 91 Points

(8/2025) From the sub-areas of Tecate and San Lorenzo within Mexico's Baja peninsula comes this light-bodied but well-flavored red blend. 70% is an estate-grown, biodynamically-farmed blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dolcetto - with 30% being the 'Rosa del Peru' from 110-year-old vines! We know that grape better as 'Mission', which used to dot our own West Coast beginning almost 250 years ago. Co-fermenting these varieties in concrete vessels, it is further aged in a mix of tanks and neutral French barrels for a winter before bottling sans fining or filtration, and just 10ppm of sulfur is added at bottling. A vivid red that drinks lighter than its stated 13% ABV, it has a well-knit melange of smoked cranberry, cherry skins, tea tree oil, elk jerkey, dried blackberries and fresh green herb over a lengthy mineral-laced finish. Natural wine, well-crafted! Blind tasters considered vibrant unoaked lighter reds like Austria's Zweigelt, Willamette Pinot or Languedoc Cinsault/Carignan blend. Fun!